Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has decried the alarming influx of migrants and internally displaced persons, IDPs into the state, saying the development is posing a major challenge to his government.
“It has been observed that the increasing influx of migrants/internally displaced population (IDPs) due to security challenges in neighbouring states is yet another problem we are facing,” he explained.
The governor threatened to sanction local government areas with poor record of implementation of the polio immunization programme in the state. Governor Ganduje, issued the warning during the meeting of the state’s task force on polio implementation held at Government House, Kano.
The governor lamented that many local government areas were in the habit of poor representation at the evening review meetings usually held during the exercise.
He also observed that some of them do not release their counterpart funds, a situation that has been affecting the implementation of the programme negatively.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna maintained that in the face of these challenges, his administration would intensify efforts with a view to addressing the observed lapses.
“We are fully aware of how the disease is facilitated through the movement of people from one state to another and this is one of the reasons some areas become victims of polio and that must be prevented”, he noted.
He called on the chairmen of local government areas as well as the district heads in the areas to rededicate themselves to the implementation and ensure that they attend the daily evening review meetings while pledging his administration’s support for the fight against polio disease in the state.